Wednesday, September 8, 2010

The Pintada Kid on the Case: Part 6. The Lady Friend, the Snake, and the Owl

It was, by many accounts, the largest manhunt in New Mexico history. The decades-old front pages of the Albuquerque Journal tell the story of excited leads and mounting disappointment as a hot 1935 summer wore on. Every single State Police officer - all 27 of them at the time - along with 15 National Guardsmen, 20 members of the 111th Cavalry and 100-plus volunteering Albuquerqueans scoured the east mesas and Tijeras Canyon. A dragnet of vehicles and walkers six miles long combed the miles from Albuquerque to Willard. The search centered on Socorro. The search turned to Carrizozo. To San Marcial. To Gallup. To Quemado. To the Rio Puerco. To the Rio Grande.

A high-profile case attracts lots of junior detectives: Someone reported blood on a bush. Another a bloodstained bedspread. A woman in Madrid remembered two men borrowing a shovel at 2 a.m. and thought that might have been suspicious.

Leslie Linthicum, Albuquerque Journal, 6/20/10

*****

The Pintada Kid continues the story of his investigation into the Heberer Lorius case, in his own words. For a list of the entire series, click on the Pintada Kid on the Case tab at the top of the page.After finding that decomposed garage, I went back with a measuring tape. I measured the garage--it was 8 feet wide and 16 feet long; the height was over 6 feet. When I talked to the Nash Club of America people they said that model Nash was very famous because of the Heberer Lorius case. The Nash was 6 feet wide and 15 feet long; and the height was 6 feet, according to a member who owned one of those cars. So the homemade garage I had found could have been made to fit the Nash.

The next time I went into the area was with a lady friend of mine who is a Painter and wanted to see the area and she loved to walk which worried me a lot because of the Rattlesnakes out in that area and one of the times we got separated I took off in a Certain direction and there was a Marker with a Date on it and an arrow pointing in a certain direction but the date was from the 20s but on trying to line up the marked rock I discovered something more important.

Right there was in front of me a Rock with the Shape of a horse that was in the State Police report that I read many years ago in Santa Fe when I first started working on the case. Back then they one of the people they questioned was asked where the bodies were buried and he replied near this rock shaped like a horse. When asked where the bodies were in relation to that rock he replied DAM CLOSE.

I was so happy to find this new evidence because I had thought it would be impossible to ever find this rock and here it was in front of me. I took pictures of the rock and went back to my pickup but my lady friend wasn't there and it was getting late so I drove my truck down the road and back and forth looking for her. Still no lady friend. By then I was starting to panic because it's easy to get lost out there or to get bitten by a Rattlesnake. I started honking in short low bursts on the horn, hoping the rancher and cattle didn't hear me. When I finally found her, I wasn't too happy with her taking off like that. Luckily the rancher didn't show up and tell me off.

We went into the area where the Heberer Lorius people would be found and she was walking all over the place near the Cave Entrances. I told her not to walk in front of me, but to walk behind me. Just as I finished telling her that, I almost stepped on a Rattlesnake that was over 5-feet long. Although there was snow on the ground when we were out there that day, the ground and the rocks get so hot that the Rattlesnakes come out of Hibernation to lie where it's much warmer.

I didn't want to take my eyes off the Rattlesnake for fear it might come at me so I told my lady friend behind me to hand me a rock so I could hit the big Rattlesnake over the Head with it. I reached back and she placed a pebble-sized rock in my hand--I asked her, Is that the biggest rock you could find?"

The snake was trying to get away and back into its den so I just swatted it across the back of its head to keep it from going into its den. It turned on me and I Stuck my Ski pole/walking stick into its head and then placed its head with the ski pole stuck in it on top of another rock. I used another rock to cut its head off.

My lady friend followed me with the Snake back to the Truck and I took pictures of her holding the snake while making an awful face. On the way back home it started to sprinkle and a Big Beautiful Double Rainbow appeared. I took a few pictures of her under the Double Rainbow and on driving back we had the windows open and a miniature owl* flew in the window of the truck. We had to stop and open the door to let it out again.

~El Pintada Kid

Tomorrow: We take a break for Skywatch, then on Friday the Kid's tale continues.

6 comments:

Interesting symbology, with both the double rainbow & the the owl. Now I have to go back to to your oder posts & read the other Pintada Kid stories! So, no book, though? I'm thinking you two should put one together... I like how you put in the background first, then write in his words.

I hope I am not commenting twice. I am having trouble with my computer. I have not done anything this morning but go back and read this entire story. Now, I am hooked. I would have left this place never to return when I was attacked by the jello like spiders had I not run myself to death trying to get away from them. I have to know what happens in the future with the kid. I will be back here!

About Me

Who knew that retirement would be so much fun? I loved working with kids and books and technology as a school librarian, but now I love having time to get together with friends, and to enjoy walking, going to the gym, taking photos, reading, researching, blogging, knitting, and gardening.